A few years ago, a well-known advertisement was broadcast on television saying that hemorrhoids were something that was carried in silence. But I am afraid that it is not the only health problem that is very present although it is not a regular reason for conversation with co-workers. And it is that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are already the second leading cause of infectious disease on the European continentjust behind respiratory infections.
Campaigns as successful as the “Pntelo, pnselo” that marked an entire generation and that, most likely, it is urgent to rescue to put a stop to this important public health problem.
What can I get from sexual contact?
If we have unprotected sexual contact we can become infected with more than 30 bacteria, viruses or parasites: Treponema pale (syphilis), Chlamydia trachomatis (clamidia), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea)…
The genital, oral and anal area of men and women can become a festival of infections, so it is essential to apply protection measures to enjoy without taking an unwanted gift.
Have the cases of STIs increased a lot?
very much, so much that they just hit their record high since there is a national registry. The data is provided by the STI epidemiological surveillance report published last month, and prepared by the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network and the Carlos III Health Institute.
Why are STIs a serious problem?
They are a major public health problem both because of the high number of people who are infected every day and because of the aftermath that they leave in these people if they are not diagnosed and treated quickly. For example, syphilis can be fatal and only in the year 2021, 6,613 cases were diagnosed, compared to 700 cases in 2001.
Do they affect young people more?
The abandonment of condoms by the young population in Spain is worrisome, according to the Youth Report in Spain, 40% of sexually active young people acknowledge not having used a condom in the last year. But STIs affect any age. In the case of gonorrhea, the average age of people diagnosed is 31 years, and that of syphilis, 36.
Do they affect men or women more?
The growth of infections has increased considerably in men and women, but the latest reports show an increase in STI diagnoses in women. In 80% of the new cases diagnosed in women, the age was between 15 and 35 years. From that age there are fewer infections due to the stabilization of the number of sexual partners.
Contraceptive methods that protect against STIs
He condomboth male and female, is the only contraceptive method capable of preventing the spread of a sexually transmitted infection.
Contraceptive methods that do not protect against STIs
Anything other than the condom. Oral contraceptives, the vaginal ring, the IUD… do not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
If a risky sexual relationship has been maintained without adequate protection against STIs, we must go to a health center as soon as possible where they can carry out tests to determine if there has been an infection or not.
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